16 THREE LEADING PRINCIPLES. 



the imbecility of the brute ; we should live in chaos, 

 hardly aware of our existence. And yet, with all our 

 activity of mind, we daily pass by unobserved that 

 which would be wonderful if philosophized and rea- 

 soned upon ; and with the same inconsistency wonder 

 at that which a little consideration, reason, and 

 philosophy would make but a simple affair. 



Third He will allow any object, however fright* 

 ful in appearance, to come around, over, or on him, 

 that does not inflict pain. 



We know from a natural course of reasoning, that 

 that there has never been an effect without a cause, 

 and we infer from this, that there can be no action 

 either in lanimate or inanimate matter, without there 

 first being some cause to produce it. And from this 

 self-evident fact we know that there is some cause 

 for every impulse or movement of either mind or 

 matter, and that this law governs every action or 

 movement of the animal kingdom. Then, according 

 to this theory, there must be some cause before fear 

 can exist ; and, if fear exists from the effect of ima- 

 gination, and not from the infliction of real pain, it 

 can be removed by complying with those laws of 

 nature by which the horse examines an object, and 

 determines upon its innocence or harm. 



A log or stump by the road side may be, in the 

 imagination of the horse, some great beast about to 

 pounce upon him ; but after you take him up to it 

 and let him stand by it a little wl^ile, and touch it 



